Iran has released all crew members of the MSC Aries ship, a vessel equivalent to 15,000 standard containers, which was seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces last month, according to "Russia Today." In a conversation with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that the detained ship had shut down its transponder in Iranian territorial waters, putting "navigational safety" at risk. The ship linked to Israel is still anchored near three other vessels seized by Iranian special forces. Abdollahian mentioned that his country released 25 crew members of the MSC Aries, partially owned by Israel, indicating that the crew was released for humanitarian reasons.
Two weeks ago, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Iran had detained the container ship flying the Portuguese flag (MSC Aries) on April 13 for "violating maritime laws," adding that there was no doubt about the ship's connection to Israel. The Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that a helicopter from the Revolutionary Guard boarded the MSC Aries and took it to Iranian waters. MSC, the company operating the Aries, confirmed that Iran had seized the ship and stated that it was working "with the relevant authorities" for the safe return of the vessel and its 25 crew members. Zodiac, in its statement, mentioned that MSC is leasing the Aries from Gortal Shipping, a subsidiary of Zodiac Maritime, adding that MSC is responsible for all activities of the ship. Zodiac is partially owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer.
